5 Tips for Matching Flowers in a South Asian Wedding

2012 Jun 8 - by Preeti

em>I have special guest post today by wedding florist company, Willam Clarke Flowers. William Clarke Flowers designs and arrange flowers for all cultures, but their favorite is a South Asian Wedding! They are located in London, United Kingdom. Thanks for sharing your tips!

We love to be able to use brightly coloured flowers; abundance of reds, oranges and hot pinks. So many weddings are created in classic white and greens, but for an Asian wedding this theme is very rarely used.

Red and orange roses are always very popular because of their meaning (love and passion). Dark purples, hot pinks and oranges cause a riot of color. And while some colors do not work together, they have the uncanny ability to be perfect partners in a South Asian wedding. Don't discount them upon first glance.

Though South Asian marriages are more colorful than a Western wedding, innovative flowers are added all the time. Red roses and white lilies have made their way into the Indian wedding ceremony along with the auspicious and gold standard for a Hindu wedding, the marigold.

Here are five tips to help you when matching and picking flowers for your wedding.

1. Make sure your florist understands the religious meaning of flowers. The marigold is auspicious in Hindu weddings but not in a Muslim wedding. The marigold may then be a complementary flower, instead of the center of the attention.

2. As a bride, take your color inspiration from your bridal sari or lengha. Look at the elegance and detail, gold and diamond embellishments, embroidery style. From there, have your florist come up with a color combination and theme that matches the your bridal outfit.

3. Know your flowers! - Get to know the most important flowers in South Asian weddings.

Lily-of-the-valley - One of the sweetest and the most sophisticated wedding flowers, symbolizing sweetness, humility and return of happiness.

Marigold - Marigold is offered to the Lord Vishnu and Laxmi the gods who look after our earth and other living beings. Many believe that Marigold will bring abundance of blessings form the Lord to the wedding couple. Marigold is also considered as an herb of the Sun and is representative of prosperity. And thus it has been a part of Indian Marriages for such a long time.

Mogra {Arabian Jasmine} - Symbol of piety and blessing. In Sindhi culture, brides may wear mogra made jewelry. Muslim and Hindu women may wear jasmine garlands in their hair.

4. Pick complementing flowers for the garland. If you a bling-bling lengha, opt for white and pink/red roses or delicate orchids. If you have simple sari, wear a heavy garland. Show your florist what clothes and jewelry you are wearing so that garlands complement you, not just the backdrop. Want bouquets? Why not?! Match it up to your garland and you will be a flower princess.

5. One venue, several outfits - If you will be wearing several wedding and reception outfits but have only one venue and no changes of decoration, choose colors that will match both your outfits. Neutral and soft colors usually work best.

All in all, make sure to talk to your florist about everything you want, don't want, and dream of. The more details you come up with, the better everything will look.